Burning questions

Many activists had hoped to restore trust at local level but there is little chance of that in York, amid accusations of hypocrisy following a broken election promise over waste disposal incinerators.

Council leader Andrew Waller's claims that his party had little choice but to go back on what they had said in their 2003 manifesto will do little to limit the damage.

It would be naive to be surprised at the difference between the public speeches and private thoughts of some elected members – but when that difference is so stark, as appears to be the case, it erodes what little faith is left.

The opinion of the electorate matters. That is not to say it must always be followed – unpopular decisions sometimes have to be made for the greater good – but when a party promises support on an issue, only to then apparently contradict that when a decision has to be made in office, it is no wonder politicians are viewed with such cynicism.